When I make a salad I don't just do lettuce and tomatoes. No way, check this one out.

Spinach, sprouts, radishes, carrots, tomatoes, avocado, cucumber, raw pumpkin seeds, cracked pepper, and olive oil. I think fresh basil would have been a great addition. So yummy and I had so much energy all day!

Food effects my mood and energy levels so much. I try to eat mostly things that come from the earth in their natural state. When life gets busy I sometimes don't eat as clean as I should and I can really feel the deference. I'm sure most people would not be willing to do 100% raw but even trying to do some meals raw or even adding more fruits and veggies to your diet would help.

I use to get so bummed that during the winter I would buy fresh cilantro or basil and it would go bad before I had a chance to use it all. Then I found a way to keep it fresh for even longer so I thought I would share.

Take a bunch of cilantro or any fresh herb and cut the bottom of the stems under running water. Then fill a glass with fresh water or I like to use a jar. Put the herb in the jar like you would flowers and here is the key, cover it with the produce bag it came in. This will keep it from drying out.

I than trim it right off the plant as needed.
It stays crisp and fresh just like the day you purchased it.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

OK definitely not local or Eco friendly (because how far it has to travel to get to us) but fresh coconut is so yummy. The girls and I cracked this baby open (not easy), drank the milk and then enjoyed the meat. I really love fresh food. It is amazing how much better food taste fresh, not processed, not packaged, and not messed with.

I can't believe we have never tried these before. Fresh garbanzo beans in the produce isle.

My kids just love veggies for snacks but Sariah ate a whole bowl of these before bed. Big hit!

I know I am obsessed with food but one of my favorite shows has just started its second season.

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution ( I did a post about this show before here). I love Jamie's passion for REAL food to be served in our schools. He cares about people and teaching them about how food affects us and our children. I promise it is worth your time to watch. Great FHE!!

Monday, April 18, 2011

I think I have said this with each passing year, with each child, but I can't believe that Capri is already one. This past year has been such a blessing with little Capri in our family. She is such a sweet spirit and truly just fits right in our family.

Capri is such a love bug and really just loves her family. I love how excited she gets when Kirk comes home. Or how she squeezes my neck or pulls her legs up like a little frog when I pick her up.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

We had a sweet friend come over and teach us how to make EASY yummy miso soup (the kind you get when you go to a sushi restaurant).

Miso soup is one of the easiest, lightest, healthiest and most restorative soups out there. And it's made with one of the healthiest forms of soy, miso. Miso is fermented so it's good for the digestion and has other healthy properties. Some misos are fermented with grains such as barley and rice. There are many different types of miso exhibiting different colors and strength of flavor. (The main three are white, yellow, and red.) A good rule of thumb is that a dark miso will be more intensely flavored and saltier than a lighter miso.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Inspiration comes in many forms. In my life I have noticed two main ways I receive inspiration. The first would be the way I almost always feel inspiration. It normally is a small prompting almost a whisper on things I should do in my day/life. It is so faint that it is sometimes easy for me to miss these tiny promptings if I am not careful.

The second has only happened four times that I can think of and the prompting has been so strong it has been impossible for me to ignore.

The first prompting was when I felt inspired to have Capri. Kirk was just getting ready to start his Masters program and we have a lot going on in life. We both could think of a million reasons why we should wait but I felt really strong that we should not wait. The prompting was so strong that I could not shake it. It took over all my thoughts. Once we decided to have another baby I INSTANTLY felt at piece. I could believe how much I felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. It took a few months to get pregnant and I did not even think about it or worry about the time it took. I knew it was going to happen.

Second prompting was about a close friend and her family. One night I was out talking with a few friends and I got an overwhelming feeling that something bad was going to or was happening. I asked them if they had a bad feeling and they said no, they felt fine. I drove home and prayed the whole time that everything was ok with my family, thinking that was where the feeling was coming from. I just kept getting this feeling to protect my family. When I got home everyone was asleep. The house was peaceful. I struggled sleeping that night trying to understand what that feeling was about. I kept getting a sick feeling and could not place it. On the following Sunday I told Kirk what I was feeling and the second I said it out loud I knew who it was for. Not me but my friend. I went straight home and called my friend and told her what I was feeling. As I spoke with her I literally had goose bumps! I felt at peace and the bad feeling went away.

Third was about homeschooling Myla. If you feel so inclined you can read about it here. Same thing as before it took over my thoughts until we decided to homeschool her. As soon as we decided I felt at peace and no longer worried about it.

I find it so amazing that not all inspiration makes sense or is what we have planned for our life. The things is that it all works out in the Lord's plan and timing.

We are feeling really strongly about some changes in our life and now is just the waiting game to see it all fall into place (after we have done everything we can).

My girls and I are completely obsessed with the library. We go every week to story time and rent/read 20-30 children's books a week. Sometimes we come across books we would love to add to our personal library. This book is no different.

Chalk by Bill Thomson is a picture book but tells a fun, sweet story. The story is about a group of friends that went to the park in the rain and found a bag of magic sidewalk chalk. Each child drew something onto the ground and it came to life. The pictures are amazing and I just love the imagination of children.

Monday, April 4, 2011

My heart goes out to the the families effected by recent events in Japan. Until I heard about what Carters/OshKosh are offering. For every paper crane made, a piece of clothing will be donated to the children of Japan.

This is such a great activity for the whole family. What a wonderful blessing to teach young children about serving others in need. Myla and Sariah are a little young yet they have helped me make about 40 cranes just this weekend.

You can pick up instructions and paper from OshKosh or go to their website HERE to print out the instructions. You have until April 25th and then you can either bring your cranes to any OshKosh store or take a picture and upload them to their Facebook page HERE.

If anyone would like to come over and learn how to make them just let me know. We have plenty of paper and would love the company!

I have the best job in the whole world! I'm a mommy... I have birthed three amazing, sassy, BUSY, little girls. I have gained two wonderful kids, one boy and one girl. That makes five kids under one roof!
I love being a mommy, let me say that again, I LOVE being a mommy. I also love making crafts, sewing, reading, being out doors, learning, and just having fun!